CHILDREN PET OWNERSHIP: ATTACHMENT TO PARENTS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL ADJUSTMENT

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the presence of a pet at home influences children’s attachment to their parents and psychological adjustment. A convenience sample of 276 participants (48.9% of whom owned of a dog or dogs; 138 children with a mean age of 8.79 years and 138 parents with a mean age of 40.37 years) was used. Two multivariate analyses of covariance (MANCOVAs), controlling for parent’s age, were performed to analyze the data. The MANCOVA results show lower levels of attachment to the mother and father in children with pets compared to children without pets. Additionally, compared to children without pets, children with pets scored lower in emotional symptoms and conduct problems and higher in prosocial behavior. These findings suggest that the presence of a pet could correlate with less perceived security in the attachment relationship with parents, probably because pets are often adopted into families with children to compensate for loneliness or closeness. However, according to the literature, the presence of a pet in itself seems to be a protective factor for a child’s psychological development. Limitations and future research perspectives are described.